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Benjamin Ratner
Benjamin Ratner played Christopher's Dad in the seaon 1 episode Afraid of Clowns. Ben Ratner is widely regarded as one of the most versatile and dynamic actors in the thriving Canadian independent film scene. In 2010 he will be seen co-starring in Fathers and Sons, directed by Carl Bessai, and Amazon Falls, directed by Katrin Bowen. Ben co-starred as Sam Berger, Chief of Staff to Nicholas Campbell's Mayor Dominic Da Vinci, on the critically acclaimed Da Vinci's City Hall. Evolved from the CBC hit drama Da Vinci's Inquest, which was hailed in the Globe and Mail as "one of the finest TV dramas ever made, in Canada or anywhere," Da Vinci's City Hall returned to CBC, co-starring Ben, as a television movie in 2008. Having worked extensively in both Canada and The United States, Ben’s past film work includes the lead role in director Bruce Sweeney’s Last Wedding, which premiered as the opening gala presentation at the prestigious 2001 Toronto International Film Festival. For his work in Last Wedding, Ben was awarded the 2001 Film Can “Best Actor” Award, was nominated for a Leo Award, a Canadian Comedy Award, and was named “Best Canadian Actor” by The Vancouver Film Critics’ Circle. For his work in 2002s Looking for Leonard, Benjamin was named “Best Supporting Actor” by the Vancouver Film Critics’ Circle. Other film highlights include leading roles in film festival hits Dirty, also by Bruce Sweeney, and Zachariah, directed by Michael Rohl. Dirty premiered at The Sundance Film Festival in 1998, and garnered critical and audience raves at The Berlin and Toronto Film Festivals that same year. For his work in Dirty, Ben was nominated for a 1998 Leo Award for “Best Actor in a Feature Film.” Zachariah was shown at 1998 Vancouver, Telluride, and AFI Film Festivals, and won the Audience Award at the 1999 Palm Springs Film Festival. Other films roles include Moving Malcolm, opposite Elizabeth Berkley and John Neville, The Canadian Film Centre’s 19 Months, directed by Randall Cole, for which Ben was named 2003’s VFCC Best Canadian Actor – Runner Up, as well as A Problem With Fear, Long Life Happiness and Prosperity, See Grace Fly, and Expiration Date, to name a few. In 2006 he was nominated for “Best Canadian Actor” by The Vancouver Film Critics’ Circle, and won the 2006 Leo Award, for his role in Ross Weber's feature film Mount Pleasant. In addition to numerous other lead and supporting roles in both studio and independent features, Ben has co-starred in films such as Wrongfully Accused, Good Boy!, Ignition, and has been seen in features Gray Matters, opposite Heather Graham, Man About Town, opposite Ben Affleck, and Numb, opposite Matthew Perry. Ben was a series regular on ABC’s, Kingdom Hospital, written by Stephen King. His other notable television credits include Guest Starring roles on The Twilight Zone, the Dead Zone and Mysterious Ways, for which he received a Leo Award Best Actor nomination. He has appeared in over 50 television shows including DaVinci’s Inquest, Beggars and Choosers, Becker, and 7 Days. In 2004 he won a Leo Award for his Guest Performance on “The Collector.” In made for television movies, Ben has co-starred opposite Brian Dennehy in Indefensible, Stockard Channing in An Unexpected Life, and Barbara Hershey in The Stranger Beside Me. He also appeared in Once a Thief, directed by John Woo. An accomplished stage actor as well, some of Ben’s credits include his self penned one man show Cherished and Forgotten, Frank Borg’s The Chalk Player, and David Mamet’s American Buffalo, for which Ben was nominated for a 1995 Jessie Richardson Award. In 2009, Ben directed the Canadian Premiere of Christopher Shinn's Dying City at Little Mountain Theatre. Ben made his directorial debut with his self-penned feature film, Moving Malcolm. He also co-stars in this dramatic comedy alongside Elizabeth Berkley and John Neville. Moving Malcolm (www.movingmalcolm.com) was awarded a Grand Jury Award at the 2004 Washington DC Independent Film Festival and won Best First Feature at the 2003 Montreal World Film Festival before opening theatrically in Canada. In 2004, Ben directed an episode of the television series Robson Arms, for CTV. His short film Power Lunch, which he wrote and directed, is currently in post production. His next directing project, Maddy, which he also wrote, is currently in development with Movie Central. As a writer, Ben co-wrote, co-produced and co-starred in the short films Table Manners, which was awarded a DGC Kickstart grant, and Rock, co-starring the late Blues legend Long John Baldry. He wrote and directed the short film Power Lunch in 2008. He has also written and co-written numerous feature film scripts, including Spadina, which is currently in development with Associated Producers and will be directed by Emmy award winning director Simcha Jacobovici. Ben created and co-wrote the half hour pilot Under New Management, developed by CTV, and Goode Manor, a half hour pilot developed by CBC, co-created with renowned Canadian director Jerry Ciccoritti. Most recently he co-created the one-hour drama Pros & Cons, developed by CTV. Ben is also a published writer of both fiction and non-fiction, and as a stand-up comedian was a finalist in “Yuk Yuk’s Search For Canada’s Funniest New Comedian” in 1991 and 1992. As an acting teacher, Ben was a protégé of world-renowned acting teacher and author Ivana Chubbuck (The Power of the Actor). Ben has been teaching in both Vancouver and Los Angeles for 15 years, and his students include many of Canada’s top actors. Category:Actors Category:Season 1 Cast Category:Males